Atalaya Golf and Country Club and Rio Real Golf Club will be the venues for the fifth round of the Gecko Tour to be played from 24 to 26 November. Marbella is once again the center of operations of the best winter circuit in Europe. There are many players who find in the Gecko the ideal place to train, compete and grow under an ideal climate for the practice of golf, while in the rest of Europe the courses are practically closed due to the cold and snow.
One of those players who has bet on the Gecko is the promising Annabel Dimmock, one of the most promising golfers of the old continent. She finished 2014 as Number One in the order of merit of the LGU Union, that is to say the best amateur in Great Britain and Ireland. Big words. Her spectacular career as an amateur, where she reached the tenth position in the world ranking, pushed her to turn professional in February 2015, at the age of just 18.
She took the leap very early, although convinced of her possibilities. Not in vain, last year, while still an amateur, she finished in the top 30 at the ISPS Handa Ladies European Masters, the flagship tournament of the Ladies European Tour. Dimmock has taken advantage of this year to gain experience at the highest level. In fact, she has already played three tournaments on the European Tour. She is now preparing for the final of the Ladies European Tour School, which will be held in Morocco at the end of December.
Annabel feels particularly at home in Spain. Last year she finished second in the prestigious Queen’s Cup, a match play competition where she only lost in the final to Sweden’s Linnea Strom (2 and 1). She is a great player, with a lot of character and especially fearsome when playing match play format. She has participated in the Curtis Cup and the Junior Ryder Cup. She already played the Gecko Tour of El Parador and Guadalhorce, which ended with a victory for Alfonso Gutiérrez three weeks ago. A player to follow this week in Atalaya and Rio Real.
But not the only one. Once again, Noemí Jiménez will be in the starting line-up. The young player from Malaga faces her last preparatory test before facing next week the final of the School of the LPGA Tour, which will be played in Florida from December 2 to 6. Noemi comes from signing an outstanding performance last week. She finished fourth at the Marbella Club Golf Resort. Carlos Balmaseda, Gabriel Cañizares, Manuel Quirós, Mark Tullo, who repeats for the second consecutive week, Carlos Rodiles, Marcos Pastor, Eirik Tage Johansen or Juan Parrón, to name just a few of those who have proven experience on the European Tour, will also take advantage of the always excellent preparation of Atalaya and Río Real.
The tournament, as usual this season, will be played over three days. The first two days will alternate players in the two courses and the third and last day will be played in Atalaya, after the cut on Wednesday where the best twenty and tied players will pass. The charms of both courses, always at the top of the list of players’ preferences, have led to a huge participation. Nearly one hundred players will tee off tomorrow at Atalaya and Rio Real. The Gecko gets into fifth gear.
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